The following invention relates to a braking system for roller skates and in particular to a hydraulic braking system for use with roller skates of the in-line variety.
In recent years in-line roller skates have achieved great popularity. Such skates are characterized by a plurality of rollers mounted at the bottom of a shoe or boot where the rollers are situated one behind the other along the directional line of travel of the skate. Thus, the rollers appear to simulate the blade of an ice skate. Such skates are marketed under the brand name ROLLERBLADE.TM..
A problem common to all types of roller skates, including in-line roller skates and skateboards, is the difficulty in slowing down. Thus, various braking systems have been proposed for roller skates and skateboards but none is entirely satisfactory. Conventional braking systems for skateboards which use a foot actuated brake that applies a frictional member against a roller are shown in Waddel U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,608, Sakwa U.S. Pat. No. 3,288,251, and Maurer U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,582. The aforementioned systems use some type of leveraged brake pad bearing directly against a roller or wheel and controlled through a foot actuated mechanical link. While such systems may be practical for skateboards where the user has the ability to shift foot position from one point to another on the skateboard, such a system is not practical for roller skates where the user's feet are encased in special boots.
A hand actuated hydraulic system for a skateboard is proposed in Dungan U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,547. The Dungan system, however, is uniquely adapted for use on skateboards, with side-by-side roller pairs and in order to work properly, requires a special outer stationary brake assist.
What is still needed is a practical hydraulic braking system for use with in-line roller skates.